Are no-pet rules worth dying over?

Share this Article

In a tragic turn of events last week, a troubled Upper West Side condo owner who said his building harassed him about his pit bull took his own life just hours after euthanizing his healthy 5-year-old dog.

The pit-bull mix owned by Nick Santino, a 47-year-old struggling actor, was grandfathered in, but Santino and others interviewed by the Post said neighbors and management began a harassment campaign to get the dog out.

The story as reported so far by the Post raises some unanswered questions.

Had the dog, which Santino rescued from a shelter, ever behaved aggressively toward other residents?

Why didn't Santino find his dog another home or move out if the harassment was untenable? (Granted, finding a NYC apartment building that accepts large dogs--let alone aggressive breeds--is a pretty tall order.)

And if neighbors were so intent on having the dog removed, was a compromise suggested--such as requiring the dog to wear a muzzle in the building's public spaces--that might have satisfied both sides?

The tragedy occurs at a time when boards have less ability than ever to ban pets, as courts have become increasingly sympathetic to claims that contraband pets should be accommodated as "emotional support" animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This isn't the first time that an apartment-dweller's death has been linked to restrictive building rules against pets.

In the 1 Lincoln Plaza case, it's not clear whether Santino's dog had given the neighbors reason to fear for their safety. But if it had, should their concerns take second place to an emotionally fragile resident's dependence on his pet?

It's a complicated question, and in the hothouse atmosphere of a NYC co-op or condo, an incredibly polarizing one with the potential to prompt hotheaded behavior on all sides.

Given the sad outcome, one thing is true: Most everyone involved would probably do things a little bit differently if they had a chance to start over.

Topics:

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.